The Frog Prince
by dave-d
Summary: A lengthy exploration. Naruto is depressed over Sakura's latest rejection. Hinata tries to make him feel better. Naruto returns the favor, realizing how down Hinata is on herself.


The sun was high in the cloudless sky.

A pleasant breeze ruffled long waving rows of flowers, making it look like they were nodding their showy heads.

Naruto sat with his back against a large tree. Pulling petals off of a large blossom, he sarcastically played an old childhood game.

"She loves me… SHE LOVES ME NOT… she loves me… SHE LOVES ME NOT… she loves me…_SHE_…_LOVES_… _ME_… _NOT_." After that, bitterly, he whispered "bitch" under his breath, immediately feeling guilty. There was a pile of petals by his side, some covering a rolled up brown paper bag he had carried to the private spot.

Looking up behind him, he noticed that a great number of people had carven things into the bark of the stately old oak. There were names and dates, along with some fanciful drawings. A fair number of hearts were there, containing pairs of names. He was sorely tempted. It would indulge his sadness, were he to take out a kunai and scratch "Naruto" plus "No one." A large heart with an _"X" _through it would do the same. But, none of that would change things.

"N-N-Naruto-kun…."

Naruto looked up, seeing Hinata approaching, a small basket in her hand. It had been a while since he had seen her, so he naturally took a moment to see how she had changed. A bit taller than before, she had filled out in ways that girls often did, and had taken to wearing make-up. She was wearing a chuunin vest, not her familiar coat.

"Hinata…." Naruto nodded.

"I… I heard that you had come back… that you were in the village for a while…." Hinata cradled her basket in her arm. "I didn't know if I would come across you anywhere…."

"Yeh…." Again Naruto spoke without much life.

Hinata stood staring a moment, her eyes noticing the changes in Naruto. He had grown a great deal over the three years he had been training with Jiraiya. His eyes were still a piercing shade of blue, but they didn't have the sparkle that she remembered.

"Is there s-something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice was strong, though she was still working on her stuttering. At least she had done away with the finger twiddling and hiding routines.

"Is there anything right?" Naruto threw the naked flower stem he held, watching it strike a distant flower like a javelin. Sighing, he closed his eyes. Then, he sat up straighter. There was no reason to be rude. He could wallow in self-pity later.

"Were you going to eat lunch?" Hinata asked, looking at Naruto's bag. "I was looking for a place to sit…."

Naruto nodded his head. With a bit of nostalgic bravado, he swept away the pile of petals and slapped the ground beside him. "Have a seat," Naruto said. "This _should_ be a nice place to eat lunch. But, I lost my appetite."

"I didn't think that was possible," Hinata said, feeling a bit uneasy making any kind of remark around Naruto, even when she was trying to be pleasant. She didn't want to do anything that might make him feel resentful of her.

"Either did I," Naruto answered. "Things change, but not always for the better, right?" He shook his head, looking somewhat sour. "Sometimes my Ninja Way seems so pointless, at least when it comes to people…."

Hinata sat down. Truth be told, she didn't feel all that great herself. She knew why Naruto was feeling down. It was Sakura. He had his heart set on _her_, not some small dark weirdo. She herself was someone he could like, but probably not someone that he could love. Still, she had wanted just to see him. She wanted to know what he looked like… what his voice sounded like… how he had changed….

"Ummm…she _still_ might come around, Naruto-kun…." Hinata blushed. Not because of what she said, but because she sounded so timid again. That certainly wouldn't impress him. "Girls…… at least some of them…… can change their minds."

"Do _you?_" Naruto asked, staring up at the sky, his eyes unfocused. Idly, he pulled grass up by the roots.

Hinata swallowed hard. Was that simply a general question, or did he realize just how she had always felt about him? "N-N-No…." She put her hand on her basket, trying to steady herself.

"Well then, Sakura probably won't either. I just thought she would stick to her word, that's all." Naruto looked at his companion. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Ohhh… maybe in a little bit…." Hinata's hand twitched. "What… what did she promise?"

Naruto reached into his bag and took out a large wrapped bowl of noodles. The large pile of shrimp on top was distorted by the plastic. He sat it down by his side, along with a plastic fork, shaking his head. Even the sight of food didn't spur his hunger. "You don't want to hear about my troubles, Hinata. I haven't seen you for a while, so there must be other things you would like to talk about."

"It helps to talk, sometimes." Hinata opened her basket, but felt no need to take anything out. "I know it helps _me." _She didn't know what she would do without Kunei and Ten Ten. "And, I remember it helped you once…."

"Huh?" Naruto sounded a bit more animated. _"When?"_

"Proud failure," Hinata mentioned, running her finger along the intricate wickerwork.

"Oh." Naruto nodded his head. Hinata's words had helped give him back his confidence on the day he fought her cousin Neji. "Well…." he scratched his head, a familiar gesture that had Hinata grinning. _"What!" _He had noticed her look. Shrugging, he added "Let's talk a bit about other things first. Maybe then I'll feel like….. yeh…."

Hinata nodded. She then listened to Naruto talk about his training, and all of the things he had seen and done outside of Konoha. When it was her turn, she told him about the chuunin exams, and what she had been doing since then. She also filled him in on all of their mutual friends.

Eventually, his appetite returning, Naruto had begun eating, joined by Hinata. He told her about Sakura, and the promise she had made a couple of years back. "It was my first trip back to the village," he said. "I was pretty full of myself. I even had more energy than usual." Looking at Hinata's face, he stuck out his lower lip. "Yes, it **_is_** possible. Any way, I ran into Sakura, just as I had hoped. She wasn't doing very well."

Naruto explained how his former teammate had done well at first with her medical training, but had begun to have a lot of problems. She still hadn't gotten over Sasuke's defection, and the expectations that Tsunade had were tremendous. At times, she even wondered if she wanted to be shinobi anymore.

But, with Naruto's help, she began getting over that hump. During the week he was back, he helped her train, and had worked hard with her to clean up the apartment she had moved into. He had done whatever he could to make her laugh. Before he left, he told her how he felt about her, which was really no secret. Asked if she could ever return those feelings, Sakura had said that she probably could, since he had made her feel so much better in so short a time.

'_Grow taller and more handsome. Then, I won't be able to turn you down again. Promise.' _Those had been her words. They had been engraved in his heart, just like the words carved into that tree.

"It's not like I could train to do any of that, but I _did_ get taller." Naruto sighed.

"And much more handsome," Hinata blurted out, mortified. "I mean…."

"Nice try," Naruto answered with a smirk. "But I _do_ get to see a mirror now and again. I don't compare to the other guys. Probably never will.I should probably be sitting on a lily pad somewhere, trying to catch flies." He unwrapped his lunch and played at it with his fork. "But, I _did_ get a little more handsome. I kept my part of the bargain."

Hinata nibbled at a bean paste bun, thinking. Naruto's self-deprecating remark had spurred a memory. Sometimes fairy tales and parables make something easier to accept and understand. "Yes you did. Sakura might…… she might keep her part too…… you shouldn't give up hope." It hurt for her to suggest that. It would be better for her if he _did_ forget about the pink-haired girl. Sakura was much prettier and more out-going than she would _ever _be. "Things often have a way of turning out right…."

"Huh?" Naruto frowned. "Maybe in stories."

Hinata nodded her head. Stories indeed. She began to recite a bedtime story that her mother used to tell her:

"_In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face."_

Naruto sighed, then mouthed "Sakura."

"_Close by the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite play thing. _

_Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted."_

Naruto actually smiled a moment, thinking back to something that should leave him angry or frustrated, but didn't. "Sasuke-kun…… Sasuke-ku-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-un…." he whispered, remembering how Sakura used to carry on when she and Sasuke were part of Team Seven with him and Kakashi.

"_And as she thus lamented someone said to her, "What ails you, king's daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity." _

_She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its big, ugly head from the water. "Ah, old water-splasher, is it you," she said, "I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well." _

"A frog?" Naruto sked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Is _that_ what you really think I look like, Hinata?"

"Ummm…no!" Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth, then quickly hid it behind her back. "It's just that…."

Naruto pulled at one ear, then smiled, nodding his head. "It's because I can summon frogs, right?" He cracked his knuckles. "If that old hermit is the Frog King, I guess that would make me the Frog Prince…."

"Well…." Hinata shook her head. "You said you should be sitting on a lily pad…" She was surprised to see that Naruto knew the story she was telling. She wondered who had told him that, since he never knew his parents.

Naruto closed his eyes. Then he managed another smile. "I guess that's why people used to call me _'That Naruto.'_" He scratched an itch on one arm. "You pay more attention to my words than _I _do, Hinata."

Hinata swallowed hard, cleared her throat, and continued with her tale:

_"Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your play thing up again?" _

_"Whatever you will have, dear frog," said she, "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing." _

_The frog answered, "I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed - if you will promise me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up again." _

_"Oh yes," said she, "I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again." But she thought, "How the silly frog does talk. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak. He can be no companion to any human being." _

Hinata stopped a moment, to see how Naruto was taking the story. He was stabbing at his noodles with his fork, lifting some up and letting them fall down again. Looking over at her, he said "The story is right on that account, I guess. I can _sure_ talk. Maybe all I am fit to do is sit with the other frogs. I guess I don't compare with Sakura, _do_ I?"

"No," Hinata answered, seeing some anger spark in Naruto's eyes. "You don't. She's a very nice person in her own way, but she is _not_ strong as you are. She never had the hardships that I…… that some people have. If things aren't easy for her, she used give up or let someone else do the work."

Hinata blushed. She had no business talking about Sakura that way, even if it was true. That was her jealousy speaking. To be honest, she had to admit that Sakura had improved remarkably, once she began training with the Hokage.

"Hey. Sakura's…." Naruto looked perturbed. He clenched his fists.

"Y-Y-You're differentthan she is," Hinata spoke quickly, trying to make up for her gaffe. "You're determined. You don't **_ever_** quit. You think of other people first. You're really special…." Hinata bit her lip. She had to be more careful with her words.

Naruto sat staring at her for a moment, then shook his head and leaned back against the tree. "Special… yeh, _right_…." He sighed. "Sorry… It's OK… go on…."

Hinata nodded.

"_But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank down; and in a short while came swimming up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The king's daughter was delighted to see her pretty play thing once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. _

_"Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with you. I can't run as you can." But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could. She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again."_

Naruto cursed. Remembering who he was with, he blushed and apologized to Hinata. Looking up at the sun, he shook his head. "Before long, I'm going to have to hop back to my well. The Ero-Sennin probably wrote up a long list of chores and jutsus for me while I've been away." He stretched his legs for a moment. "I was hoping that this visit would have given me reason to go back with more hope."

"There's _always_ reason to hope, Naruto-kun. I still haven't given up hope. Even though I'm…." Hinata stopped abruptly. She stuck her fingernails in one palm, wincing. That had been too close.

"Huh? What are _you _hoping for, Hinata?" Naruto raised one eyebrow.

"Ummm…… n-n-n-n-nothing…… never mind me, Naruto-kun…." Hinata hated feeling so flustered. Only Naruto could have gotten her to act this way these days. "You should remember how the fairy tale goes."

"_The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." _

_She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, "My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?" _

_"Ah, no," replied she. "It is no giant, but a disgusting frog." _

"Tell me about it," Naruto griped. He shrugged sheepishly by way of an apology, allowing Hinata to continue her story.

She did so:

_"What does a frog want with you?" _

_"Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me." _

_In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me, do you not know what you said to me yesterday by the cool waters of the well. Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." _

_Then said the king, "That which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in."_

"It never works that way in _real _life," Naruto said. He picked up his bowl and began eating. After the first few bites, his appetite returned with a vengeance. He began shoveling the Ramen in.

Hinata smiled, watching him.

"**WHAT!**" Naruto saw her watching. There was a noodle still hanging from his mouth.

Hinata couldn't help herself. She started giggling. "_N-N-N_-Noodle… _N-N-N_-Naruto-kun…." She pointed, then used her hand to cover her smile.

"Yeh… well… I'm _hungry_, so kill me or something!" He sucked in the noodle. "It's like you never saw anyone eat before, or something. _Sheeesh!" _

"You're right. I apologize." Hinata tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't. Naruto folded his arms across his chest and screwed up his face. "I guess… I guess… you're a proud failure at eating, too…." Hinata rarely felt the urge to joke. For some reason, things were different now.

"Oh yeh?" Naruto set his jaw, narrowing his eyes. But, he was soon grinning. "_Really, _Miss Perfect?" He pointed to Hinata's leg. There was a large glob of bean paste there.

Hinata blushed. Her look had Naruto laughing. Hearing that, she sat for a moment, embarrassed. But, she couldn't help but grin before she returned to her narration:

"_She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. _

_There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside you." She delayed, until at last the king commanded her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, "Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said, "I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep." _

"Hinata. You're blushing!" Naruto leaned forward some to get a better look.

"I…ummm… it's nothing…." Hinata bit her lip.

"Why?" Naruto thought a moment. _"Hah! _You were thinking about laying down with somebody in bed?" He chuckled. "**Hinata! **It's always the quiet ones…."

"Well… I… it's not that I ever…." The white-eyed girl turned bright red. _"Naruto-kun!"_

"Hah! It's no big deal, Hinata. We **_all _**have fantasies. So, who were _you_ thinking about?" Naruto might be more observant, but that didn't mean that he didn't have his moments of clueless splendor.

"I….. this story is about _you_, not me. Don't try to change the subject, Naruto-kun!" Hinata felt as if the whole world was peeking in her heart, ready to discover all of her secrets.

"Who's changing the subject?" Naruto asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Hinata chose to resume the story:

_The king's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, "He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by you." _

_So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner, but when she was in bed he crept to her and said, "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father." _

_At this she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. "Now, will you be quiet, odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a king's son with kind and beautiful eyes." _

"She threw me against a wall, alright!" Naruto said, rubbing his sore shoulder. "It hurt. All I wanted was a kiss." Naruto looked at Hinata. "_Are you _so selfish with kisses, Hinata?"

Hinata froze. Her mouth fell open, but she said nothing. For the first time in a while, she began twiddling her fingers.

"Well? Are you? Or is it just Sakura?" Naruto rubbed his chin.

"I……" Hinata was _not_ about to say that she had never kissed anyone. "She……" Her heart was beating way to quickly. It was hard to breath. "Maybe Sakura just didn't want to kiss you, Naruto-kun. People don't always feel about others they way they want them too." She knew that all too well.

"Yeh…." Naruto nodded his head. "What's new? Maybe if I _had_ turned into a handsome prince…… like one of those damn Uchiha…"

"But, maybe you could some day." Hinata said. "At least…… at least I think so…" her eyes were wide and vulnerable. She wanted to say more, but dared not.

"Uh huh. I don't look this way because of some witch's spell, Hinata. And, I was tossed down the well by a f-cking fox. That…." Naruto's face went pale. His hands twitched.

"Fox? Naruto-kun…." Hinata was confused. What was he talking about.

"Never mind, Hinata. I won't be turning into some pretty boy with long dark hair and kaleidoscope eyes. There won't be some carriage with eight white horses, ostrich feathers on their heads, harnessed with golden chains, coming to take me and Sakura way. If that could happen to anyone, it wouldn't be _me."_

"You don't need those things, Naruto-kun…." Hinata quickly moved her gaze away from his face. "You're…… you're already better than that…."

"_Huh?" _Naruto pursed his lips and made a face.

"It's not like you are _me,_ Naruto-kun." Hinata hung her head. This was no time to be feeling sorry for herself. Especially not in front of him.

"What's**_ that _**supposed to mean, Hinata?" Naruto put his bowl down.

"I'm…… I'm not pretty like Sakura…." She couldn't leave it there. Naruto might make the connection. "I'm not pretty like Kurenai-sensei…… Ino…… Ten Ten…… _any_ of them…." She looked up at the sky. "I never will be…."

"Maybe…." Naruto squared his shoulders and shook out his Jiraiya-style hair. "Maybe not…."

"_N-N_-Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked at him then.

"Remember when I called you a shy dark weirdo?" Naruto asked. "You were short…… plain…… and kind of dumpy…." Hinata nodded her head. Her face fell. "Well, that changed." Naruto pointed a finger at her. "You need to believe in yourself! You're doing so much better now. Don't stop."

Hinata blushed. She spoke very quietly. "That's what I was trying to tell **_you, _**Naruto-kun."

"Yeh. Well. Huh. Good for you!" Naruto scowled, then smiled. "But _I'm_ better at that kind of thing, right? Uzumaki Naruto, mender of broken lives!" He then muttered "Every life but my own."

"I won't _ever_ be a princess, Naruto-kun." Hinata said sadly. "_M-M_-Maybe…… maybe I could be a horse pulling the carriage for one…."

Naruto shook his head. He knew all too well about self doubt and disappointment. He had never asked for Kyuubi. He had never begged to be an orphan. With such a bad start, fate could have at least made him taller or better looking! He rubbed the side of his nose, and then thought a moment. Nodding his head, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. Story telling usually wasn't his thing; but, helping his friends was. "You're right, Hinata." Those first words had Hinata's heart in her throat. She figured that Naruto had only been trying to be kind. But, his next words had her uncertain. "Stories _do _have something to teach us."

"N-N-Naruto-kun?"

"My turn," He said, opening his eyes. After watching a bee fly around his half-eaten Ramen, he began his fairy tale. It was kind of stiff and formal sounding, but if he tried to spruce things up, he might forget the story altogether.

"_It was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the meadows looked beautiful. The stork walking about on his long red legs chattered in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt from his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midst of which were deep pools. It was, indeed, delightful to walk about in the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep river, and from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so high, that under the tallest of them a little child could stand upright."_

Naruto grinned, then chuckled. "Even you could stand upright, Hinata."

Hinata stopped chewing her lamb kabob. The face she made had Naruto smiling. "You're no giant, Naruto…." she said.

"I am in my heart, Hinata. _Hah! _Don't ever forget that. Some day I'll be…." Naruto spread his arms wide in a flamboyant gesture.

"Hokage," Hinata said. Then, she shook her head. "You're not tall enough to be Hokage, Naruto-kun." She pointed over at the huge cliff. "They would have to carve your face near the ground. No one would see it."

Naruto's mouth fell open. "Hyuuga Hinata, did you just make a joke?" Naruto put feigned a look of shock.

"No," Hinata said, trying not to grin. "I was simply speaking a fact."

Naruto smiled, and then laughed. "I never get any respect. Why do I bother coming back to this village?"

Hinata though a moment. "Noodles."

Naruto stared at her for a few moments, making her feel very self-conscious. "Absolutely right. Now, if you're finished with your interruptions, can I continue?" Hearing no answer, he began talking:

"_The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug retreat sat a duck on her nest, watching for her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out of their shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the slippery banks, and sit under a burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her. At length one shell cracked, and then another, and from each egg came a living creature that lifted its head and cried, "Peep, peep." _

Hinata covered her mouth. It didn't help. She still began giggling again.

Naruto looked over at her, his face scrunched up. "What's so damn funny?"

"_Y-Y_-You…"

"Yeh… well… whatabout me?" He tensed up some, then relaxed. Picking up his lunch, he took another mouthful.

"It's just…it's just…." Hinata held her breath a moment, then spoke smoothly. "When you said _'Peep, peep,' _it was… it was cute…."

Naruto looked like he had swallowed his fork instead of the noodles. "_Cute?_" He spoke it like a swear word.

"_N-N_-No. I apologize, Naruto-kun." Hinata tried not to giggle any more. She whispered "precious," just loud enough for Naruto to hear.

"**Shit!**" Naruto said, cursing on purpose. It didn't make Hinata blush or stop giggling. "Do you want to hear this or not!" He grabbed his fork too hard. It snapped in half. Hinata handed him a replacement out of her basket. "Thanks!" Naruto said somewhat gruffly, before continuing:

"_Quack, quack," said the mother, and then they all quacked as well as they could, and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves. Their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes. _

"_How large the world is," said the young ducks, when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell. _

"_Do you imagine this is the whole world?" asked the mother; "Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that to the parson's field, but I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all out?" she continued, rising; "No, I declare, the largest egg lies there still. I wonder how long this is to last, I am quite tired of it;" and she seated herself again on the nest." _

Hinata lapsed into a state of reminiscence. She remembered her mother telling her that she had been such a large baby, and how difficult the delivery had been. 'You're meant for big things, that's all,' her mother would say, when Hinata tugged on her dress, wondering why she hadn't grown tall as a result. She missed her mother terribly.

"_Well, how are you getting on?" asked an old duck, who paid her a visit. _

"_One egg is not hatched yet," said the duck, "it will not break. But just look at all the others, are they not the prettiest little ducklings you ever saw? They are the image of their father, who is so unkind, he never comes to see." _

That had Hinata biting her lip for a moment. Naruto caught that, and understood why. The white-eyed girl had had a difficult childhood. The only reason she became a shinobi in the first place was because her father had cast her out. The change of heart that Hyuuga Hiashi underwent because of Neji's words at the chuunin exam had included his daughter as well. But, that wouldn't remove the sting of old memories for Hinata.

Yes. Hinata had lived a difficult life too, just like he had. But, she didn't give up. He had Akatsuki hanging over his head. No doubt she had her troubles as well.

"_Let me see the egg that will not break," said the duck; "I have no doubt it is a turkey's egg. I was persuaded to hatch some once, and after all my care and trouble with the young ones, they were afraid of the water. I quacked and clucked, but all to no purpose. I could not get them to venture in. Let me look at the egg. Yes, that is a turkey's egg; take my advice, leave it where it is and teach the other children to swim." _

Naruto felt uncomfortable telling the story, seeing the changes that Hinata's face went through. The end of the story should make her feel better, but he still felt a need to cheer her up some in the interim. "There was a frog in the story you told me," he said as an aside. "Apropos, I guess." he smirked. "Just like the mention of a turkey in the one I'm telling you."

Hinata's eyes went wide. Then she frowned. She reached into her basket and took out a rather nice looking piece of cake. "I _was _going to share this, Naruto-kun." She shook her head. "But, I'm not just a turkey… I'm a pig…" Hinata blushed. She still wasn't used to making jokes, especially ones at her own expense.

"Uhhh…." Naruto's eyes went to the cake. It looked unbelievably delicious. He found himself drooling.

Hinata took a bite and smiled. "Aren't you going to tell me the story, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto cursed under his breath. She was really asking for it! He resumed the tale:

"_I think I will sit on it a little while longer," said the duck; "as I have sat so long already, a few days will be nothing." _

"_Please yourself," said the old duck, and she went away. _

_At last the large egg broke, and a young one crept forth crying, "Peep, peep." _

Naruto looked at Hinata, but she didn't giggle this time. Wrapping her cake back up, she put it in her basket. Naruto's face fell, but he shook his head and continued:

"_It was very large and ugly. The duck stared at it and exclaimed, "It is very large and not at all like the others. I wonder if it really is a turkey. We shall soon find it out, however when we go to the water. It must go in, if I have to push it myself." _

_On the next day the weather was delightful, and the sun shone brightly on the green burdock leaves, so the mother duck took her young brood down to the water, and jumped in with a splash. "Quack, quack," cried she, and one after another the little ducklings jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but they came up again in an instant, and swam about quite prettily with their legs paddling under them as easily as possible, and the ugly duckling was also in the water swimming with them. _

"_Oh," said the mother, "that is not a turkey; how well he uses his legs, and how upright he holds himself!"_

So, it's not a turkey after all." Naruto said, sounding hopeful. He stared at the basket, and then looked Hinata in the eyes.

"I see. That wouldn't make much sense, for the story I mean." Hinata waited patiently.

Naruto scowled, the began talking again:

"_He is my own child, and he is not so very ugly after all if you look at him properly. Quack, quack! come with me now, I will take you into grand society, and introduce you to the farmyard, but you must keep close to me or you may be trodden upon; and, above all, beware of the cat." _

_When they reached the farmyard, there was a great disturbance, two families were fighting for an eel's head, which, after all, was carried off by the cat. "See, children, that is the way of the world," said the mother duck, whetting her beak, for she would have liked the eel's head herself. "Come, now, use your legs, and let me see how well you can behave. You must bow your heads prettily to that old duck yonder; she is the highest born of them all, and has Spanish blood, therefore, she is well off. Don't you see she has a red flag tied to her leg, which is something very grand, and a great honor for a duck; it shows that every one is anxious not to lose her, as she can be recognized both by man and beast. Come, now, don't turn your toes, a well-bred duckling spreads his feet wide apart, just like his father and mother, in this way; now bend your neck, and say 'quack.'" _

Naruto looked at Hinata, and then smiled. He reached out and tugged at the scarf that Hinata wore as a belt, the mark these days of a chuunin assigned to special missions. Hinata looked curious for a moment, then made the connection. She blushed. She was indeed high born, but didn't consider herself so grand. Nevertheless, she took out the cake and handed it to Naruto.

"Thank you," Naruto said with a grand bow. "Madame." Then he grinned. "I guess they gave you that so people know where to send you when you get lost, huh?"

Hinata looked at the cake. It was too late now. She wouldn't take it back. That was her Ninja Way. She wasn't upset, though. She knew Naruto was just teasing her. That by itself made this a good day.

"_The ducklings did as they were bid, but the other duck stared, and said, "Look, here comes another brood, as if there were not enough of us already! and what a queer looking object one of them is; we don't want him here," and then one flew out and bit him in the neck. _

"_Let him alone," said the mother; "he is not doing any harm." _

"_Yes, but he is so big and ugly," said the spiteful duck, "and therefore he must be turned out." _

"_The others are very pretty children," said the old duck, with the rag on her leg, "all but that one; I wish his mother could improve him a little." _

Hinata twiddled her fingers some, then stopped when Naruto paused and looked at her. She sat up straighter, showing that she knew it was just a story. Still, the tale was too close to reality for her liking. For too many years, she had been the ugly duckling. But, there had been someone who stood up for back then.

He was sitting next to her now.

"_That is impossible, your grace," replied the mother; "He is not pretty; but he has a very good disposition, and swims as well or even better than the others. I think he will grow up pretty, and perhaps be smaller; he has remained too long in the egg, and therefore his figure is not properly formed;" and then she stroked his neck and smoothed the feathers, saying, "It is a drake, and therefore not of so much consequence. I think he will grow up strong, and able to take care of himself." _

"_The other ducklings are graceful enough," said the old duck. "Now make yourself at home, and if you can find an eel's head, you can bring it to me." _

_And so they made themselves comfortable; but the poor duckling, who had crept out of his shell last of all, and looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and made fun of, not only by the ducks, but by all the poultry. "He is too big," they all said, and the turkey cock, who had been born into the world with spurs, and fancied himself really an emperor, puffed himself out like a vessel in full sail, and flew at the duckling, and became quite red in the head with passion, so that the poor little thing did not know where to go, and was quite miserable because he was so ugly and laughed at by the whole farmyard."_

That had Hinata thinking back to her father again. Those days had been hard, but they taught her an important lesson. Life isn't fair. You can't always get what you want. She looked at Naruto and sighed.

Not noticing, he continued talking:

"_So it went on from day to day till it got worse and worse. The poor duckling was driven about by every one; even his brothers and sisters were unkind to him, and would say, "Ah, you ugly creature, I wish the cat would get you," and his mother said she wished he had never been born. The ducks pecked him, the chickens beat him, and the girl who fed the poultry kicked him with her feet. So at last he ran away, frightening the little birds in the hedge as he flew over the palings."_

Hinata nodded her head. At one point, she had wanted to run away. But, she had been too scared. With the stories she had heard from her parents and relatives, it was all too easy to imagine the monsters that might lay in wait beyond the estate fence.

"_They are afraid of me because I am ugly," he said. So he closed his eyes, and flew still farther, until he came out on a large moor, inhabited by wild ducks. Here he remained the whole night, feeling very tired and sorrowful. _

_In the morning, when the wild ducks rose in the air, they stared at their new comrade. "What sort of a duck are you?" they all said, coming round him. _

_He bowed to them, and was as polite as he could be, but he did not reply to their question. "You are exceedingly ugly," said the wild ducks, "but that will not matter if you do not want to marry one of our family."_

That had Hinata blushing. She looked over at Naruto, hoping he hadn't noticed. He hadn't.

"_Poor thing! he had no thoughts of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among the rushes, and drink some of the water on the moor. After he had been on the moor two days, there came two wild geese, or rather goslings, for they had not been out of the egg long, and were very saucy. "Listen, friend," said one of them to the duckling, "you are so ugly, that we like you very well. Will you go with us, and become a bird of passage? Not far from here is another moor, in which there are some pretty wild geese, all unmarried. It is a chance for you to get a wife; you may be lucky, ugly as you are." _

"_Pop, pop," sounded in the air, and the two wild geese fell dead among the rushes, and the water was tinged with blood. "Pop, pop," echoed far and wide in the distance, and whole flocks of wild geese rose up from the rushes. The sound continued from every direction, for the sportsmen surrounded the moor, and some were even seated on branches of trees, overlooking the rushes. The blue smoke from the guns rose like clouds over the dark trees, and as it floated away across the water, a number of sporting dogs bounded in among the rushes, which bent beneath them wherever they went." _

Hinata bit her lip. That part of the story had her thinking about her friends. Every time there was a mission, she wondered which of them might not make it back. They were the people who had come to care for her, and to show her kindness because of who she was, not what family she came from, or how she might look.

Naruto stopped the story momentarily, for his own reason. Imagining what the scene must look like, it changed before his eyes. Soon it was a single fox instead of a number of dogs. The fox was huge, with a snarling face, and huge destructive tails. Nine of them. That was the reason his world had no peace. That was the reason that he might have no hopes for marriage. At least Sakura and the others didn't know his secret. Yet.

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other, both looking a bit down. "I picked a real winner, huh Hinata!" Naruto tried to smile. "We're a sorry couple, you and I!" He had simply chosen a word. He could very well have said 'pair.'

Hinata's face froze for a moment, and her eyes looked very strange. Naruto wondered why. What had he said? Hinata glanced away for a few moments.

Shrugging, Naruto spoke:

_How they terrified the poor duckling! He turned away his head to hide it under his wing, and at the same moment a large terrible dog passed quite near him. His jaws were open, his tongue hung from his mouth, and his eyes glared fearfully. He thrust his nose close to the duckling, showing his sharp teeth, and then, "splash, splash," he went into the water without touching him, "Oh," sighed the duckling, "How thankful I am for being so ugly; even a dog will not bite me." _

_And so he lay quite still, while the shot rattled through the rushes, and gun after gun was fired over him. It was late in the day before all became quiet, but even then the poor young thing did not dare to move. He waited quietly for several hours, and then, after looking carefully around him, hastened away from the moor as fast as he could. _

_He ran over field and meadow till a storm arose, and he could hardly struggle against it. The storm continued so violent, that the duckling could go no farther; he sat down by the cottage, and then he noticed that the door was not quite closed in consequence of one of the hinges having given way. There was therefore a narrow opening near the bottom large enough for him to slip through, which he did very quietly, and got a shelter for the night."_

_After that, the duckling wandered on his own, looking for some place he could truly belong._

Naruto stopped a moment, scratching his head. He wasn't certain why the question came to mind, but felt compelled to ask it. Hinata knew how he felt, and where his aspirations lay, even if his dreams were unrealistic. He wondered what she felt, and what goals he might have. "Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Hinata wondered why Naruto had stopped.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He rarely had a chance to ask personal questions like that, or to share his own feelings. Jiraiya was a very good teacher, and someone he looked up to like a father, but the Legendary Sannin was **_not_** one to discuss such matters. He had his own sad past, but contented himself by chasing after the village girls.

Time seemed to slow for Hinata. No, everything in the world around her seemed to come to a complete stop. She wasn't breathing. Her heart should be thumping against her chest after that, but wasn't. Her mouth wouldn't open. Neither hand could move.

"It's OK if you don't want to tell me," Naruto said. "It's none of my business, I guess."

Hinata took a great breath, starved for air. She looked down at her feet, forcing herself to stay seated. With some effort, she spoke. "N-N-No…." She could barely hear that herself. She tried again. "No. I don't. No one."

"Oh." Naruto tugged at his hair, then scowled. "I hope I didn't make you feel bad, too."

"It's… it's OK, Naruto-kun…" Hinata tried to brighten up. She was about to say 'It's not your fault,' but knew she could never get those words out. It was only partly true.

"Do you like someone…." Naruto asked, eyebrows raised. "Wait, never mind… that's not what we were talking about before. "

Hinata hung her head, but took another deep breath and told the truth. "There is someone I like… but I don't think that he knows it." She looked away from Naruto. "I can't tell him, because he doesn't care for me that way…."

"You…." Naruto closed his mouth. A thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. For some reason, he felt pressured to go on with his story.

He did so:

"_Autumn came, and the leaves in the forest turned to orange and gold. then, as winter approached, the wind caught them as they fell and whirled them in the cold air. The clouds, heavy with hail and snow-flakes, hung low in the sky, and the raven stood on the ferns crying, "Croak, croak." _

_It made one shiver with cold to look at him. All this was very sad for the poor little duckling. One evening, just as the sun set amid radiant clouds, there came a large flock of beautiful birds out of the bushes. The duckling had never seen any like them before. They were swans, and they curved their graceful necks, while their soft plumage shown with dazzling whiteness. They uttered a singular cry, as they spread their glorious wings and flew away from those cold regions to warmer countries across the sea. _

_As they mounted higher and higher in the air, the ugly little duckling felt quite a strange sensation as he watched them. He whirled himself in the water like a wheel, stretched out his neck towards them, and uttered a cry so strange that it frightened himself. Could he ever forget those beautiful, happy birds; and when at last they were out of his sight, he dived under the water, and rose again almost beside himself with excitement. "_

Naruto stopped again. Looking over at Hinata, he found that he wanted to know more about her. His life and wishes had always been an open book, because he had tried so hard to be noticed, and had always been running his mouth. But, Hinata had been so very different. She had been shy and quiet, barely noticeable compared to any one, much less himself.

"Is there something that **_you _**want in life, Hinata? Something that seems foolish to others, or might be hard to achieve?" For him, it wasn't just becoming Hokage. He hoped that the villagers would stop hating him for things that were not his fault. Kyuubi was sealed within him, but Uzumaki Naruto was _not _the demon fox.

"Ummm…." Once again, Naruto's question had caught Hinata off guard. But, she didn't have to think. She already knew the answer. "I would like to be a jounin like Kurenai-sensei some day. I would like my father to look at me with the pride he has when he looks at Neji and Hanabi. I would also like…." Hinata looked down at her lap, blushing. This would be heard enough to talk about with anyone. But with him….

Naruto sat quietly, feeling no urge to joke or tease Hinata.

"I would also like to be a wife and mother some day." Hinata felt relieved, getting the words out.

"That's a nice wish," Naruto said after a while, staring down at his feet. He wondered if he would ever have children. With Akatsuki hanging over his head like a sword suspended by a hair, he wondered just how long his life might be. "I hope it comes true. You're a truly nice person…."

Hinata nodded, but didn't say anything. She bowed her head for a few moments, as Naruto went back to his tale:

"_He knew not the names of these birds, nor where they had flown, but he felt towards them as he had never felt for any other bird in the world. He was not envious of these beautiful creatures, but wished to be as lovely as they. _

_Poor ugly creature, how gladly he would have lived even with the ducks had they only given him encouragement. The winter grew colder and colder; he was obliged to swim about on the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the space on which he swam became smaller and smaller. At length it froze so hard that the ice in the water crackled as he moved, and the duckling had to paddle with his legs as well as he could, to keep the space from closing up. He became exhausted at last, and lay still and helpless, frozen fast in the ice. _

_Early in the morning, a peasant, who was passing by, saw what had happened. He broke the ice in pieces with his wooden shoe, and carried the duckling home to his wife. The warmth revived the poor little creature; but when the children wanted to play with him, the duckling thought they would do him some harm; so he started up in terror, fluttered into the milk-pan, and splashed the milk about the room. Then the woman clapped her hands, which frightened him still more. He flew first into the butter-cask, then into the meal-tub, and out again. What a condition he was in! The woman screamed, and struck at him with the tongs; the children laughed and screamed, and tumbled over each other, in their efforts to catch him; but luckily he escaped."_

"Sounds like something that would happen to me," Naruto said.

"Yes," Hinata said. "It certainly does." She rubbed two fingers together. "Does the kind of things that used to happen to you _still _happen, Naruto-kun?"

"Sometimes," Naruto admitted. "But, I'm so busy training to stay alive…." He became exasperated with himself. He needed to watch what he said. "That damn Frog hermit has me so busy, I usually don't have time to get in trouble. I also don't usually have the money for it, because he is always stealing my damn frog purse!"

"Frog purse?" Hinata had never seen it before.

Naruto took out the money-stuffed frog and handed it to Hinata. She smiled, looking over at Naruto, thinking that someone as loud and as demonstrative as him carried such a cute purse. That look was not lost on Naruto. "If you say cute… or precious……" He frowned. "I don't care if you are a girl. I will fight you right here!" The two of them looked at one another and smiled. "Yeh, some things don't change, I guess…." Naruto said, putting his hands behind his head.

"I'm glad," Hinata said quietly, thinking she wouldn't be overheard.

Naruto's hearing was better than she though.

_It would be very sad, were I to relate all the misery and privations which the poor little duckling endured during the hard winter; but when it had passed, he found himself lying one morning in a moor, amongst the rushes. He felt the warm sun shining, and heard the lark singing, and saw that all around was beautiful spring. _

_Then the young bird felt that his wings were strong, as he flapped them against his sides, and rose high into the air. They bore him onwards, until he found himself in a large garden, before he well knew how it had happened. The apple-trees were in full blossom, and the fragrant elders bent their long green branches down to the stream which wound round a smooth lawn. Everything looked beautiful, in the freshness of early spring. From a thicket close by came three beautiful white swans, rustling their feathers, and swimming lightly over the smooth water. The duckling remembered the lovely birds, and felt more strangely unhappy than ever."_

Hinata looked around her. It was indeed Spring where she was, and the two of them were sitting in a small village garden bordered by rows of flowers and hedges rich with honeysuckle. It was a pleasant coincidence that brought both of them to the same spot at the same time. Taking a deep breath, she felt refreshed. She wished that she could save that moment, taking it now and then when she needed some sunshine in her life.

"_I will fly to those royal birds," he exclaimed, "and they will kill me, because I am so ugly, and dare to approach them; but it does not matter: better be killed by them than pecked by the ducks, beaten by the hens, pushed about by the maiden who feeds the poultry, or starved with hunger in the winter." _

_Then he flew to the water, and swam towards the beautiful swans. The moment they espied the stranger, they rushed to meet him with outstretched wings. _

"_Kill me," said the poor bird; and he bent his head down to the surface of the water, and awaited death."_

Naruto stopped a moment, his throat feeling tight and his hands gripping his trouser legs. There had been times when he felt that way himself, thinking that death might be kinder than a life where he was destined to be on the run, or where so many people despised him for things he never did to them himself. But, if he was lucky enough to survive, some day he would rise above all that and show everybody his true worth. He wished that he could do the same thing with Sakura, but that just didn't seem likely.

"Oh. Sorry, Hinata. I was lost in thought for a moment there." He was trying to make **_her_** feel better, but he was worrying too much about his own problems. There would be plenty of time for that later. There was a long ride or walk back to the other village.

"It's OK, Naruto-kun. It's a beautiful day. I'm in no rush. I like sitting here with you…." She blinked rapidly, then settled herself down. "It's…… it's nice to have the company…."

Naruto stared at Hinata a moment. She was blushing again. It seemed that she did that a lot. He tapped his fingers against his legs a while, grappling with an elusive thought. His eyes widened some, and he nodded his head. "Well, I'm almost at the point of my whole story," he said. "Bet you thought I forgot about it."

Hinata shook her head. Naruto stretched his arms out, arched his back, and yawned before continuing:

"_But what did he see in the clear stream below? His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. To be born in a duck's nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg. He now felt glad at having suffered sorrow and trouble, because it enabled him to enjoy so much better all the pleasure and happiness around him; for the great swans swam round the new-comer, and stroked his neck with their beaks, as a welcome."_

Hinata looked at Naruto, then looked away. She knew that he was only trying to offer her hope, and to keep her from getting too down on herself. Just the same, his saying that she might be graceful and beautiful some day had her close to tears. It was silly. She knew that, but couldn't help herself.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Naruto rested his chin on his hand, watching her.

"I'm… I'm f-f-fine, Naruto-kun…." She tried to sound nonchalant, but failed miserably.

Naruto narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then made his way into the home stretch:

"_Into the garden presently came some little children, and threw bread and cake into the water. _

"_See," cried the youngest, "there is a new one;" and the rest were delighted, and ran to their father and mother, dancing and clapping their hands, and shouting joyously, "There is another swan come; a new one has arrived." _

_Then they threw more bread and cake into the water, and said, "The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty." And the old swans bowed their heads before him. _

_Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud. He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds."_

Naruto hooked his finger under his arm, as if he were impressed by his own brilliance. He looked over at Hinata, to see if she appreciated that as well. Instead, he caught her biting at her finger tips, eyes on his face. Seeing him catch her at it, she looked away again.

He finished up:

"_Even the elder-tree bent down its bows into the water before him, and the sun shone warm and bright. Then he rustled his feathers, curved his slender neck, and cried joyfully, from the depths of his heart, "I never dreamed of such happiness as this, while I was an ugly duckling." _

Hinata sat with her head bowed. She felt an amazing lightness of spirit, but was still sad that the story had ended. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Yeh! Sometimes I surprise even myself. But, one good turn deserves another _right? _Even though _your_story's happy ending is impossible, _my_story will doubtless come true." He picked up his bag and put his lunch away. "Try to do better next time, _OK?"_

"Ummm…." Hinata nodded. She wondered if Naruto was going to leave now. She looked at her own things, not really feeling like packing up yet.

"Well, that might just be my ride!" Naruto said, pointing across the garden and down a long straight avenue. A team of oxen were pulling a large wagon. He recognized the man as someone who carried goods between a number of villages, including Konoha and the enclave he was training in. "It would be nice if I didn't have to walk the whole damn way…."

"Yes… I see…." Hinata couldn't help but sound downtrodden.

Naruto looked at her a moment, then spoke seriously. "We both have long roads to travel, Hinata. Who knows what might be at the end of them." He shrugged. "I know this guy. He might just wise up some day, getting over some girl that will never care about him as more than a friend. If he does that, maybe he will realize that there is someone who feels the same way about him that he felt about the other girl."

Hinata froze. What had he just said?

"Kind of sounds like a fairy tale, I guess." Naruto said, whistling and waving to the approaching wagon master. "But, some of those seem to be a lot like real life…." He waved to her that time. "See you later!"

Too stunned to answer, Hinata watched Naruto run and jump on the cart.

She stood there until he rolled out of view.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_**THE END**_


End file.
